Theorists

Question 1

Social facts

Answer 1

Exists beyond individuals and has an influence on them e.g. divorce rates

Question 2

Ascribed status

Answer 2

A status that is just given to you

Question 3

Achieved status

Answer 3

A status that you work for

Question 4

Stratification

Answer 4

Ranks, levels in society, power, control, authority

Question 5

Structural

Answer 5

Conflict and consensus
Macro perspective
Objective

Question 6

Action theories

Answer 6

Micro perspective
Subjective

Question 7

Durkheim - organic analogy

Answer 7

Society is similar to a biological organism
Both are made of interconnected parts working together to perform a function
They have basic needs in order for them to continue to function

Question 8

Functional prerequisites

Answer 8

Goal attainment
Adaptation
Integration
Latency

Question 9

Goal attainment

Answer 9

Society sets itself goals to evolve and become more functional e.g. politics

Question 10

Adaptation

Answer 10

Each member of society must be provided with the basic needs of survival and society must adapt to its environment to meet these material needs e.g. family

Question 11

Integration

Answer 11

Different parts of the system must be integrated together to pursue shared goals e.g. religion and education

Question 12

Latency

Answer 12

Mechanisms within society that ensure each individual can continue to perform their roles over a long period of time, by ensuring they remain motivated

Question 13

Value consensus - Parsons

Answer 13

Everyone has the same norms and values within a society, promoting a sense of social solidarity

Question 14

Specialised division of labour

Answer 14

Everyone in society has a status that they need to fulfil so that social order can be maintained

Question 15

Merton’s internal critique of functionalism

Answer 15

Indispensability - untested assumption and there may be functional alternatives
Functional unity - complex modern societies have many parts some of which may only be distantly related
Universal functionalism - some things are dysfunctional and there may be a conflict of interest or unintended consequences

Question 16

Neoliberalism - the new right

Answer 16

Believe in less state intervention and the privatisation of goods and services
Capitalism is the most effective economic system, people work harder to create the best standard of products
Businesses should compete to attract customers

Question 17

Bourgeoisie

Answer 17

Owners of the means of production whose primary purpose is to make profits - wealthy and middle class

Question 18

Proletariat

Answer 18

The social class of workers who have to work for their wages as they do not own the means of production

Question 19

Basic Marxist principles

Answer 19

There have been historical class struggles within human society - class inequality predates capitalism
A direct critique of capitalism - materialistic nature allows the ruling class to effectively exploit the working class through their pursuit of material goods
Pursuit of a working class revolution - the working class would need to unite and fight back against the ruling class to create a truly equal society

Question 20

Means of production

Answer 20

What you need to create wealth e.g. machinery, materials, land etc

Question 21

Relations of production

Answer 21

Social relationships that enable production

Question 22

Mode of production

Answer 22

Means and relation of production - the overall system

Question 23

False consciousness

Answer 23

The lower classes are totally unaware of the exploitation that they are facing

Question 24

The structure of capitalism

Answer 24

Superstructure - made up of all institutions that legitimise and reproduce class inequality
Economic infrastructure/base - consists of the economy which is the most important social institution

Question 25

Waves of feminism

Answer 25

First wave - suffragettes who campaigned for the right to vote Second wave - 1960s onwards saw feminism emerge on a global scale Third wave - avoids generalisations between men and women

Question 26

Radical feminism

Answer 26

Extremist All men oppress all women Patriarchy is universal Challenge the view that sexuality is a natural biological urge Rich - men force women into compulsory heterosexuality Separatism - Greer advocates matrilocal households Political lesbianism

Question 27

Liberal feminism

Answer 27

Patriarchy is a product of socialisation and varies from society to society Gender role socialisation - we are taught to be either male or female based on how our parents raise us Social policy - there are still some laws that discriminate against women

Question 28

McRobbie and Garber - feminism

Answer 28

Bedroom culture exists where parents try to discourage girls from going out with their friends during leisure time - protection and fear

Question 29

Marxist feminism

Answer 29

Women raise the next working generation Women are a reserve army of workers Ansley - women are ‘takers of shit’ - men vent their anger and can go back to work the next day feeling relaxed

Question 30

Black/difference feminism

Answer 30

Abbott et al - feminism is ethnocentric, has a victim ideology, theoretically racism Feminism is very focused on privileged white women

Question 31

Mead - Symbolic Interactionism

Answer 31

Each individual interacts with others through the use of symbols Each symbol can have a different meaning Humans put ourselves in the positions of others, seeing ourselves as they see us We then take on the role of significant others such as parents Then we see ourselves form the point of view of the wider community - generalised other

Question 32

Blumer - Social Interactionism

Answer 32

Sees humans as ‘puppets of the system’ with no free will The behaviour of each individual is totally unpredictable People gain an understanding of who they are during childhood when engaging with others Aim to maintain positive interactions in the future

Question 33

Labelling theory - Cooley

Answer 33

‘Looking glass self’ We build up a picture of who we are as we see our self-mirrored in the way people respond to us We become what others see us as - self fulfilling prophecy

Question 34

The Dramaturgical Model - Goffman

Answer 34

We construct our ‘self’ by manipulating other people’s impressions of us Our aim is to give a convincing performance of the role we have adopted Upstage - social self Backstage - true self

Question 35

Phenomenology - Schutz

Answer 35

We simplify reality using typifications which draw upon previous experience - recipe knowledge

Question 36

Ethnomethodology - Garfinkel

Answer 36

Study of the methods all people use to understand the world Calls recipe knowledge common sense knowledge